Unit Card:

Set - Rarity - Number

V - Common - 11/39

History:

RB's V Opening Salvos #2 (updated by nrnstraswa)

Laid down in 1935, USS Bagley was the lead ship of a small class of interwar destroyers designed to carry a heavy torpedo armament at the expense of the gun battery. Somewhat smaller than the destroyers of the numerous Benson and Fletcher classes that followed, Bagley and her sisters were still modern, well-balanced warships that gave good service throughout World War II. The biggest drawback in the design was the poor performance of American torpedoes early in the war, which negated one of the Bagley’s key strong points compared to other US destroyers. The Mark 15 torpedo was very similar to the submarine-launched Mark 14, and often failed to detonate even on a direct hit. (Nine torpedoes fired at the mortally damaged USS Hornet after the Battle of Santa Cruz failed to scuttle the carrier.)

USS Bagley was present at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, and responded to the surprise Japanese airstrike with a barrage of AA fire, claiming six kills (although it’s unlikely that all six were hers). She fought at the Battle of Savo Island (7 August 1942), surviving with no damage. USS Bagley later saw action at numerous landings in the Pacific, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Reviews:

RB's V Opening Salvos #2
USS Bagley is a reasonably cheap and effective destroyer. She has the Sub Hunter special ability, although her ASW of 4 is only mediocre for an Allied destroyer. The most interesting thing she brings to the table is a very good torpedo attack of 2 dice at range 2, which no other early-war US destroyer can match. However, there’s a drawback; the Defective Torpedoes special ability means that there’s a 2 in 6 chance any torpedo attack you make with Bagley fails automatically. Many American torpedo attacks failed outright due to faulty torpedoes, a critical problem that was not addressed until the end of 1943.